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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ASK ME TO KNOW MORE

CATHOLICITY

  • Faith in action / visibly Catholic

    • support school and home parish​

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  • Connections with school parish 

    • monthly meetings, masses, liturgies, special seasons 

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  • Support sacramental preparation

    • encourage & celebrate students ​

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  • Catholic Graduate Expectations & Virtues

    • visible, incorporated, celebrated

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  • Catholic Leadership

    • Leader in Me, leader like Jesus

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  • Connections to Faith Animator & Religious Consultant 

    • Fully Alive & faith development​

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  • Daily prayer

    • morning and end of day prayer (on announcements) 

ENROLLMENT

  • From 450 to 760 in four years

    • and growing 

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  • Hosting & attending promotional nights and events

    • Welcome to Kindergarten, CSC, St. Jean Baptiste
       

  • Being welcoming to all students  

    • special needs, ​MLL, different programs

    • celebrating diversity

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  • Providing supports to all incoming students 

    • tours, screenings, assessments, remediation

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  • Word of mouth promotion 

    • happy families attract more happy families 

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  • Creating welcoming spaces 

    • all who enter should feel at home 

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  • Working with Board & Community Partners

    • daycares, Early-ON hubs, Early Years Lead (Beth)​

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MULTI-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

  • Success and Well-being of Students

    • basic needs (​ex. Student Nutrition Program)​

    • social and emotional needs (ex. counselling ​

    • academic needs (programming & support) 

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  • Nurturing our Catholic Faith

    • connections with school parish 

    • ​priest visits to classes 
    • masses and virtue assemblies
    • catholic graduate expectations 
    • Fully Alive program

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  • Equitable Stewardship of our Resources 

    • staffing programs (certified & non-certified)

    • distribution of technology

    • purchasing & distribution of school resources

    • allocation of time (relationships vs. tasks)

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  • Engagement with Employees & Partners 

    • build healthy relationships

    • listen actively and respond to concerns 

    • welcome community partners & agencies

    • seek opportunities for collaboration 

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INDIGENOUS EDUCATION

  • NSL Ojibwe program

    • provide lessons when teacher absent; CALL?

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  • Indigenous Support Worker / Transitions Coach / Team 

    • ​provide space to work with students 

    • discuss students of concern

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  • 7 Grandfather Teachings 

    • ​wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, truth â€‹

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  • Land Acknowledgements 

    • varied and respectful

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  • Community partners & programs 

    • Elders, Bands, Friendship Centre, Nogdawindamin

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  • Cross-curricular teaching 

    • cultural teachings in all subjects 

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  • Self-Identified & Non Self-Identified 

    • welcoming students on their journey (ex. names)​

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  • Jordan's Principle Funding & Applications 

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

  • Communication of Student Achievement 

    • frequency of reporting (formal and informal)

    • progress and terms, including alternative reporting 

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  • Documentation of Student Achievement

    • accuracy, confidentiality, ​​

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  • Setting High Expectations

    • French Immersion, Math, MLL, ACE​

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  • Differentiated Instruction â€‹

    • advanced students (reading, CCAT)

    • at-risk students (modified programs, interventions)

    • learning styles 

 

  • Universal Design of Learning 

    • designed for some, beneficial for all

    • accessible MLL students 

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  • Providing Support 

    • who, where, when, how often, why

    • access to assistive technology (SEA)

 

  • Equitable Distribution of Resources

    • Lexia licenses​​​

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SPECIAL EDUCATION

  • Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) - OHRC R2R

    • Tier 1, 2, & 3 reading interventions 

    • response to interventions (RTIs)

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  • Special Education Services & Personnel 

    • ​​Coordinator & Consultant â€‹

    • Behaviour Team

    • Mental Health Lead

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  • Special Education Programs

    • ACE, ILS, STAR, ELP*, C&T, SSP, ITS, Home ​

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  • Allocation of EAs & Tutors​​

    • tiered system of support​

    • scheduling, accommodations, duties

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  • Meetings â€‹

    • ISETs (school-level)​, IPRCs (school or Board level)

    • pre-reg, transition, feedback meetings​

    • case conferences

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  • Documentation

    • IEPs​ & Alternative Reports

    • behaviour & safety plans

    • medical & transportation plans 

    • referrals 

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UNIONS & EMPLOYEES

  • Knowledge of all Employee Groups 

    • ​OECTA, OSSTF, CUPE, CPCO, non-unionized

    • collective agreements vs. terms & conditions

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  • Employee Work Action 

    • work-to-rule, strikes​

    • right to collective bargaining or arbitration

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  • Grievances

    • avoiding grievances (ex. VP of ILLR)

    • awareness of language

    • building relationships with union representatives

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  • Right to Refuse Unsafe Work​

    • may not endanger children 

 

  • Employee Concerns 

    • having representatives present

    • communication with Human Resources 

    • documentation (medical & anecdotal)

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  • Performance Appraisals 

    • frequency and requirements

 

  • Providing Support 

    • training (ex. BMS) and guidance ​

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CONFLICT RESOLUTION

  • Communication Protocol

    • addressed at most immediate level

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  • Time and Place

    • addressed in a timely manner​ and in private

 

  • Gathering of Information

    • Understanding the problem(s)​, all sides equally

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  • Documentation (anecdotal)

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  • Making Informed Decisions 

    • Intuitive vs. Bounded-rationality & Evidence-based

    • Ethical? Focused on educational goods?

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  • Restorative Practices (for students and staff)

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  • Ensure dignity (and safety) of all persons 

 

  • Next steps : Monitoring​

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*Conflicting ​opinions: healthy; challenges notions; encourages reflection; learning in the process​; best possible decision

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  • Final outcome should always be the decision of the principal unless delegated to the VP. (ex. squishmallow)

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

  • Taking / Investing Time

    • ​Get to know your people / Introduce self 

      • employee groups, students, parents, parish, community agencies, colleagues​

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  • Personal Leadership Resources â€‹

    • Social

      • perceiving, managing emotions, acting ​

    • Cognitive

      • problem-solving, knowledge, systems-thinking​

    • Psychological

      • optimism, self-efficacy, resilience, proactivity 

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  • Authenticity ​

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  • Presence (observe, listen)

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  • Respect (small, gradual changes)​

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  • Selfless actions over empty words​

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Example: entering new roles and school communities

              at SMFI, St. Basil, VP of ILLR 

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Example: building working relationships with new incoming                   co-administrators (sharing knowledge)

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Example: CPCO-HS Elementary Councillor and 

              CPCO-HS Social Committee 

STUDENT BEHAVIOUR

  • Be Proactive

    • build relationships in advance (ex. puzzles)

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  • Understand the Whole Picture

    • background, triggers, underlying stressors​

 

  • Previous History​

    • progressive discipline?​
    • appropriate consequences

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  • Communication with Parents

    • open and honest 

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  • Restorative Practice

    • teach how to listen and right a wrong

 

  • Behaviour Fatigue?

    • ​stressed students? or stressed staff?​​

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  • Dignity and Respect

    • still intact when they leave​

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  • Major Incidents

    • mandatory consideration of suspension (policy)​

    • counselling upon return to school

    • police involvement required?

    • safety / injury - violent incident reports

    • return to school meetings (families, agencies)

    • exclusions / modified days

EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

  • Newcomer Students & Staff​

    • culture, language, practices, beliefs​

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  • Multilingual Learners

    • culturally responsive pedagogy​

    • multilingual pink shirt day design

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  • Indigenous Students â€‹â€‹

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  • Students with Disabilities 

    • critical disability perspectives​

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  • Students with Exceptionalities 

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  • French Immersion Students 

    • right to education​

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  • Marginalized or Disadvantaged Youth​

    • low-income / family dynamics / in care ​

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  • 2SLGTBQI+

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  • Mental Health ​​

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  • History of Trauma

    • trauma-informed practices​

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INSTRUCTIONAL 
LEADERSHIP

  • VP of Instructional Leadership and Learning Recovery 

    • ​2022-2023 school year, board wide 

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  • Implementation of Recommendations 

    • Ontario Human Right Right to Read Inquiry Report 

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  • ​Multi-tiered System of Support

    • Tier 1​ - Open Court (modelling)

    • Tier 2 - UFLI / Heggerty / Kilpatrick / Fly Leaf

    • Tier 3 - Empower (teaching & assessing)

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  • Early Universal Screening (DIBELS)

    • 95% completion SK & Grade 1

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  • Lexia Monitoring

    • usage and improvement per class

 

  • Math Achievement Action Plan (MAAP)

    • acting in emotionally appropriate ways

    • Designing knowledge performance indicators (KPI)

    • conducting assessments Grade 1 - 8

    • reporting on progress

    • Lunch & Learns for professional development

    • focused goals on curriculum expectation B2.2 

    • use of high impact instructional practices (HIIP)

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MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON

  • Exemplary servant leader

  • Encourages leadership in others

  • High emotional intelligence

  • Connects with and understands people

  • Takes time to get to the root of problems

  • Nurtures potential

  • Builds resilience 

  • Determined

  • Mixed-Up Parable

    • "Hidden talents under a bushel basket"

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“Experts say the more resilient we are, the better we can face life’s challenges, and the single biggest factor for cultivating resilience: positive relationships. So find your people, and keep them close, because when you’re at your lowest, those people get you through.” (Dr. Grey)

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STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

Weaknesses are strengths in the making 

 

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  • Written Expression vs. Verbal Expression

    • processing time to think and articulate​

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  • Knowledge vs. Wisdom 

    • experienced-informed ​

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  • Determination vs. Fixation 

    • knowing when to persist and when to desist

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  • Active Listening vs. Active Sharing 

    • trusted to receive the information, but learning to      trust to share my own​

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"Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again." (Nelson Mandela)

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FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

  • Fiscal responsibility

  • Budgeting / Allocation of funds 

  • School Generated Funds

  • Banking processes (ex. deposits / accounts)

  • Purchasing policies / POs

  • Reimbursements 

  • School Cash Online (greater accountability)

  • Lunch Box (improving efficiency)

  • Responsible handling of money (ex. counting, safe)

  • School investments (ex. technology, yard improvement)

  • Equitable stewardship of resources (MYSP)

  • Timesheets 

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TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

  • Distribution of resources (ex. synchronous learning)

    • Use of Destiny Library System for efficiency​

  • Distribution of resources (in-person learning)

  • Assisted with connecting tablets 2023-2024 for DIBELS

  • Equitable stewardship of resources (MYSP)​

  • Responsible use of technology

  • Use of technological programs for learning 

    • ex. Knowledgehook, Prodigy, Lexia ​

  • Knowledge of technological applications  

    • Google Apps for Education (GAFE)​

    • Learning Management System (LMS)

    • Brightspace (Masters)

    • Microsoft Apps 

    • Website design (NEW!)

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"Necessity is the mother of invention." - Plato

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That which I need to know, I will find a way to know it. 

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